The William Keown Trust
Highlighting The Achievements And Promoting The Dignity Of People With Disabilities
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The William Keown Trust Highlighting The Achievements And Promoting The Dignity Of People With Disabilities
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| Over the last 25 years the William Keown Trust has grown into a thriving proactive and authoritative voice for people with disabilities in Northern Ireland thanks primarily to the commitment and resourcefulness of its founder, Bill Keown.
Born with cerebral palsy, Bill was unable to stand or walk as an infant. His parents placed him in a horse's collar for support and at the age of 5 he learned to walk holding on to a collie dog. His resourcefulness in the face of adversity has been a theme throughout Bill's life and epitomizes the philosophy of the Trust which was established in his name. When Bill took second place for the Spastic Achievement Award in 1976, he realised the importance of giving recognition to people who are achievers in spite of their disabilities. By 1979 the William Keown Trust was founded with committee members drawn from across Northern Ireland and the Achievement Awards were initiated. In 1990 the Awards were expanded to include the Children of Courage Awards and over the years have grown to include the Carer's Awards, the Special Olympics Awards, the Christopher McCollum Memorial Cup and the Haldane Butler Memorial Trophy for exceptional endurance and determination over a protracted period of time. The Trust has not limited its work to the Personal Achievement Awards. Concerned at the poor standard of access for people with disabilities within the built and open environment several initiatives were developed to address these problems. Over the last 25 years the Trust has become a point of reference and a commentator on matters relating to disability in Northern Ireland. The Trust has been invited to comment on Government consultation documents, and in recent years has undertaken Access Audits for a number of establishments throughout Northern Ireland. To further underline the Trust's commitment to working for the removal of physical barriers which may limit people with disabilities from participating fully in the life of their community, the unique William Trust Access Awards were introduced. These awards which are held on an annual basis provide public recognition for those organisations which have worked to make their buildings accessible for all the community. The William Keown Trust is an Independent Registered Charity XR5954
Contact Information
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